How to Make Friends

    Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends.  Good friendship has many benefits.  It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health.  There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools.  Such changes often leaves us without a friend {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage.  Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

    1).Associate with others.

    The first step to making friends is associating with other people.  You can go to public places to meet new people.  Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

    Start a conversation

    Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can always start the conversation.  Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

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    Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

    Let it grow.

    It is a good thing to stay in touch.  However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

    Enjoy your friendship

    The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be.  Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

    Are These the Best Years of Your Life?

    The ups and downs of life may seem to have no predictable plan. But scientists now know there are very clear life patterns that almost all people share. Even if you have passed some of your best years, you still have other good years to come.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When are you smartest? From 18 to 25, according to I. Q. scores; but you are wiser and more experienced with increasing age. You're sharpest in your 20's; around 30, mental abilities begin to decline, particularly your ability to do maths.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Your vocabulary at age 45, for example, is three times as great as when you graduated from college. At 60, your brain possesses almost four times as much information as it did at age 21.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}You have the best physical sense of yourself from 15 to 24, when you feel energetic all the time. The best professional sense seems from 40 to 49. Before age 24, we believe that our happiest years are yet to come. Over 30, we believe that they're behind us. A National Health Survey agrees: After age 30, we “become more realistic and do not view happiness as a goal in itself. If we keep our health, achieve professional and emotional goals, then happiness, we feel, will follow.”

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Generally between 30 to 39, but the peak(顶峰）varies with different professions. Mozart wrote a symphony by age eight, and Mendelssohn composed his best-known work, A Midsummer Night's dream, at 17, but most of the great music was written by men between 33 and 39. Though the peak in most fields comes early—most Nobel Prize winners did their top research in their late 20's and 30's, creative people continue to produce quality work throughout their lives.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. When are you happiest?

B. When are you most creative?

C. But your ability to complete other tasks climbs.

D. The above gives you an accurate figure.

E. Certain good years seem to come later in life.

F. For people who are creative, there is no upper age limit.

G. The human life journey cannot be charted by a clear life pattern.

    Life is difficult to everybody, so you need to organize your life well. Here are some suggestions which might give you some help to manage your life well.

    Write everything down and do not rely on your memory.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you want to remember things, put them in writing, or in a digital notebook. Keeping your to-do lists and other information written somewhere allows you to look back at them anytime, especially when you have hit your head and forgotten some of them.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Try this experiment before buying one thing, throw out something old or something you do not use. Or, if you are a really pack rat(不想扔任何东西的人), just throw out one old thing a day until you can not find any more items to throw.

    Recycle and donate. Is your closet full of unopened bags and clothes that still have their tags(标签) on? Is your bookshelf full of unread books? Chances are that if you have not read, worn, or used whatever they are, they you are probably not going to use them at all.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Create daily, weekly and monthly timetables for cleaning. Organize your cleaning timetable.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Distribute tasks properly, so for example, dish washing could be done daily while vacuuming(吸尘) could be done weekly and cleaning the windows done monthly. Whichever of these tasks you decide to do, remember that you can not completely organize your life in one go(一口气).

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Just decide to get organized now, and then take baby steps. Soon enough, you will be making a habit out of it all.

A. Practice putting things away immediately

B. Throw one thing before buying something

C. It is a long and never-ending process, so be patient

D. Give them to a charity or sell on the Internet

E. It is extremely exhausting to clean everything all at once

F. To keep up with tasks, you need to work with your family

G. We all agree most of us have a tough time remembering things

    Theme park getaways are popular with families, but they sure aren't cheap. Happily, there are some golden rules of ticket-buying that apply to pretty much every theme park, and they can help you chip away at the cost of tickets. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Buy tickets online.

    Never ever pay the walk-up ticket price at a theme park. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You're guaranteed to save a significant sum-sometimes as much as $ 20 per ticket-even for same-day tickets.

    Buy in advance.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, slices off $25 per ticket when you make your purchase at least three days ahead.

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    This one is a universal no-brainer. Single-day ticket prices at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, are about 30 percent less than admission on Saturdays and Sundays. But the big bonus is that lines will be much shorter, allowing you to spend less time waiting in lines and more time having fun.

    Go in the afternoon.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} For example, Hersheypark's sunset tickets allow entry after 4 pm or 5 pm, depending on the day. You'll still get between four to six hours of fun before the park closes, and you'll pay up to 50 percent less than the full-day ticket price.

A. Avoid weekends.

B. Buy more tickets than you need.

C. Here are some ways to lower your theme park spending.

D. At larger parks, you'll save money when you buy a package.

E. Instead, visit the theme park website and print out your tickets before you go.

F. Some parks offer deeply discounted tickets for visitors arriving later in the day.

G. Most theme parks offer a price cut if you buy tickets at least a few days before you arrive.

    "Fire! Fire!" What terrible words to hear when I 1 in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, 2 house —the kind that burns easily — and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, 3 the door and stepped out into the passage. It was full of 4.

    I began to run, but as I was still only half awake, 5going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I found it hard to 6. The floor became 7 under my feet. I ran into another room and tried to reach the 8 for fresh air. Suddenly, one of my feet got caught in something 9 and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a package of 10, and I picked it up to 11 my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor 12 under me and I fell through to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.

    13, there was a doorway in front, so I put the package over my face and 14. My feet were terribly burned, 15 I got through. As I reached the cold air outside my package of clothes gave a 16. I nearly dropped it in surprise. Then I saw there were many people in the street. A woman screamed as she saw me and came running 17.

    "My baby! My baby!" she cried. Those people 18 loudly as she took the smoke-blackened package out of my arms. I almost 19 to see who she was—my boss's wife. I had saved her baby, and become a(n) 20!

    One of the biggest reasons people drop an exercise program is lack of interest. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The good news is there are tons of different sports and activities to try to see which one inspires you.

    When picking the right type of exercise, it can help to consider your workout personality. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If so, solo sports like running, biking, or snowboarding could be for you. Or do you like the shared motivation and companionship that comes from being part of a team? School sports, intramural leagues, club teams, and pick-up games are great ways to stay active with others.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} For example, whether your chosen activity is affordable and available to you (Activities like horseback riding may be harder for people who live in cities, for example.) You'll also want to think about how much time you can set aside for your sport.

    It's a good idea to talk to someone who understands the exercise, like a coach or fitness expert at a gym. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Doctors know that most people benefit from regular exercise, even those with disabilities. If you have a health problem or other concern (like being overweight or very out of shape), talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise plan.

    Considering the benefits to the heart, muscles, joints, and mind, it's easy to see why exercise is wise. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Even small things can count as exercise when you're starting out -like taking a short bike ride, walking the dog, or raking leaves.

A. Without fun, it is hard to keep it up.

B. You also need to plan around practical considerations.

C. You have to make a list of your favorite exercises, too.

D. He or she can get you started on a program that's right for you.

E. Different types of exercise can strengthen different muscle groups.

F. And the great thing about exercise is that it's never too late to start.

G. For example, you may like to work out alone and on your own schedule.